John gibbons



(No Model.)

- J. GIBBONS.

HARNESS SNAP. v N0. 322,438. Patented July 21, 1885;

WIT/V588 ES. 1 W IIWEAITOR M ATTORNEY UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN GIlSBONS, OF WEST TROY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE MENEELY HARDWARE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

HARNESS-SNAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,438, dated July 21, 1885.

Application'filed September 12, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GIBBONS, of the village. of West Troy, county of Albany, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Harness-Snaps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to harness-snaps; and the object of my invention is to simplify and improve their construction.

Accompanying this specification, to form a part of it, there is a plate of drawings containing six figures, illustrating my invention, with the same designation of its parts by letter-reference used in all of them.

Of these illustrations, Figure 1 shows a view of the under side of the snap with the boltlatch removed. Fig. 2 shows a representation of the latch-bolt removed from the snap-body. Fig. 3 illustrates an upper view of the snapbody with the latch-bolt removed. Fig. 4 illustrates another view of the latch-bolt, with what is its under side when in position as turned upward. Fig. 5 is a perspective of the completed snap, and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section taken centrally through the snap and bolt-latch.

The several parts of the snap, and those constituting my invention, are designated by letter-reference, and the function of the parts is described as follows: The letter B indicates the body or barrel of the snap, and the letter G designates a longitudinal groove made in the body of its upper face for the working on its hinge of the latch-bolt. The letters b b indicate bearings made in the under side of the body, near its eye end, for the reception of hinging-journals on the latch-bolt, the body where opposite these bearings being cutout on a line with the groove G, as indicated at O, to receive the rounded end of the latchbolt. The letters 0 and 0 indicate cross-partitions made in the groove G, and R a recess between said partitions to receive the snapspring.

The letter N indicates a recess made in the under side of the latch-bolt, which recess has upwardly-projected from it a pin, p, made to keep in place a spiral spring S, arranged around said pin.

The letter d designates a clearing-opening produced in the bottom of the groove G.

As thus made, when the rounded hinging end of the latch-bolt is passed down from the top through the eye of the body, and drawn frontward so as to bring the journals h h into the bearings 12 b of the body, with the rounded part of the hinging end of the latch-bolt within theopening O at the end of the groove G, and the cross-partition 0 against the inner face of the rounded end Eof the latch-bolt, the spring being within the recess B, then the hook end of the latch-bolt, made as indicated at Fig. 3,

with an offset, is bent so as to be parallel with the body and over the closing end of the latchbolt L, and a very simple and serviceable hinge-connection is made between the snapbody and the latch-bolt thereby. The parts of the hinge thus made require no fitting, being cast on and with the parts with which combined.

In a patent granted to me as inventor, dated January-22, 1884, No. 292,164, a similar hinging-connection is shown,but in which no groove was had in the latch-body, there being a central pin in the body, constructed to be within a recess between the hinging-journals, to prevent lateral motion, while in the device shown herein the hinging mechanism is dependent upon the connection made between the latchbolt and the cut-out end of the groove 0.

By forming the body of the snap-hook with the opening or cut-out portion 0, I provide a ready and convenient seat for the journals of the snap below the face of the body, and dispose of the downward-projecting part E in the cut-away part beyond displacement under ordinary exigencies; and by providing the longitudinal groove G with the transverse partitions c 0' and opening in the bottom of the re:

cess, and forming the snap with the recess N and pin 11, I secure a reliable seat for the actuating-spring, and provide means for the escape of small substances through the hole in the recess It, which might otherwise find lodgment therein and prevent the spring from acting and the parts from operating. The construction of the means for retaining the spring in position admits of the interposition of a detachable or' loose spring; and since this part I of the device is the one which usually wears out or breaks, it is apparent that when the spring in my device becomes inoperative from any cause it can readily be renewed or replaced, and the whole device be thus restored.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

The improved harness snap herein described, composed of the body B, formed with the longitudinal groove G, having cross-partitions 0 a", forming the recess R, provided with 

